Tag Archives: shannon

SHANNONWATCH has organised a peace protest for this Sunday at 2pm against the ongoing US military use of the airport. The event takes place two days after Armistice Day which is intended to mark the end of fighting in World War I and to honour those killed in it. Shannonwatch says Sunday’s protest will draw attention to how little peace there is in the world today and how Ireland’s increasing support for militarization is escalating global instability. Armed US troops pass through Shannon on a daily basis, despite the fact that the country claims to be neutral. “What is happening at Shannon Airport is in breach of international laws on neutrality and makes the Irish people complicity in US war crimes and torture,” said Edward Horgan of Shannonwatch. The group has been protesting at the airport on the second Sunday of every month since 2008, while they say that the human and financial costs of the military movements through Sahnnon …

LAST week was a hugely successful one for Shannon Kickboxing Club at the World Kickboxing Association World Championships. The local club took home a number of medals from the championships held in Prestatyn, Wales. Celtan Delaney was a double gold medallist in K1 and Low Kick, while Gráinne Egan also won two golds in Full Contact and Low Kick. Jamie Dobbin took two silvers, for Low Kick and Full Contact, while Luke Flynn won bronze in full contact and silver in low kick kickboxing Also in Prestatyn, Liam Alford made the final of the WKA Emerge Fight Series, a result that saw him pick up a professional K1 contract. Howie Vincent is the driving force behind Shannon Kickboxing Club and he said that while Liam hadn’t won the final, he still enjoyed a very good degree of success. “Liam was fighting in an offshoot of the championships, ina style of fighting that they’re trying to set up a league in. …

THE Feed Clare foodbank at the Kincora building in Shannon Town Centre, is now only operating every second Friday. Karen Cassidy has been involved in its operation for years, and she said the last few months have seen a huge jump in demand. “Oh gosh, yeah. In the last two months I’d say we’ve had an increase of about one third. Last month I think we had 22 new applicants, which is a lot for a small town like Shannon.” On an average week it provides support to around 50 families. “I suppose we have about 120 on our list altogether. Not all of them would come every week, some would come once a month or something like that. But that’s the situation now.” All levels of society are grappling with the worst level of inflation seen in decades, but it’s harder for some than others. “I had a single mother come in recently, she would have five or six …

THE Wings music festival was a big hit in Shannon this summer, and plans are in train to have another one in 2023 – but this time it will be a winter event. Damian O’Rourke was behind this summer’s event, which went down very well and he explained the thinking behind the reboot. “After Wings, a few of us met to see what had worked well, what could we do better for next year. After that I started thinking about it being on in the summer, and with there being so much else on in the summer, it might be better as a winter festival. “We decided to go with the last Monday to Sunday in February, the 21st to the 26th. There is a lot on in the summer and in Shannon the gigs are mainly indoors, so if there’s a spell of sunny weather it can be harder to get people to come. In February it’ll be dark …

The Shannon cluster of aviation businesses has just gotten bigger as Dublin based AerAdvise announced plans at the Shannon International Leasing Conference (SILC), to establish a new office at Shannon employing seven people. Welcoming the announcement, Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, who officially opened the SILC conference said, “With over 90 aviation companies employing over 3,000 people having now made Shannon their home base, the Shannon aviation cluster is growing from strength to strength. “As an island nation, we rely on aviation to maintain our connections with families, friends, and business, wherever they may be. Aviation is at the forefront in providing access to our island and plays a pivotal role in maintaining and growing our economic, political, and cultural connections with the rest of the world. “Aviation also plays a central role in supporting our tourism industry, which is fundamental in providing employment on a regionally distributed basis, such as here in the Mid-West …

CLARE County Council is to seek funding for affordable housing in the urban areas of the county, the October meeting of the local authority heard. Independent Gerry Flynn put forward a motion asking that the Council make an approach on the matter to housing minister Darragh O’Brien. In a written response to his motion, Director of Social Development Ann Haugh stated, “As advised by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, proposals located within the CSO settlement boundaries of the five cities (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford) are eligible for Affordable Housing Fund funding. “However, proposals located outside the five cities must be located within local authority areas with a minimum average 5% Housing Need Demand Assessment (HNDA) Affordability Constraint for new housing demand over the period 2021 to 2026 calculated for the entire local authority area. “The HDNA assessment of the Clare local authority area has not demonstrated this required affordability constraint and therefore does not meet …

OVER €25,000 was raised through a GoFundMe campaign to help Shannon woman Joanne Begley with the costs of vital surgery in Barcelona. In 2018 Joanne was diagnosed with a rare condition called Chiari Malformation, a herniation of the brain where it protrudes into the spinal canal. While there is no cure for it, its progression can be managed. “I had two brain surgeries in Cork, one in 2018 and one in 2019. I was kind of left with a leak, a psuedomeningocele, it affected my balance, my sleep and the pain and stuff. They said in Ireland there was nothing more they could do for me. I went to Dublin for a second opinion, but they couldn’t do anything with the condition I have. It’s just getting progressively worse, I wake up every morning and my hands are stuck because the fluid around my brain isn’t going up and down properly,” she says. While there was nothing more that she …

A PLANNING application has been lodged for the refurbishment of the Drumgeely Neighbourhood Centre, which is the public open space area enclosed by Drumgeely Avenue, Fergus Drive and Allen Park. A design statement accompanying the application says that it will improve the appearance and increase the vibrancy of the area. “The purpose of this proposed development is an initiative of the Shannon MD and Clare County Council to upgrade the outdated public realm facility at Drumgeely Neighbourhood Centre. “This project proposes to revitalise the neighbourhood centre of Drumgeely. It will positively impact vibrancy and ‘outdoor living’ in the community while attracting new customers, business and a night time economy.” It said that accessibility will be improved by it. “The public realm at the centre is in poor condition with poor accessibility. This project proposes to redefine the streetscape so that it is accessible to today’s standards, while being safe and attractive to service users. “The renewal will also provide a …